Hi Harry,
Your library sounds like lots of fun. You are lucky to have Thorndyke to help you find great books to read. I am really glad you wrote to me. I had fun blogging with you. I hope you will visit me again. We can read more books together. Did you get one of my bookmarks, too?
Stay warm and safe in the snow!
Your New Best Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Thorndyke,
Oh, my reading and writing teacher, Kathleen, gave me the idea for refrigerator words. Moosey-Moose and I like to use different colored posty-notes. The refrigerator looks like a rainbow when we put a lot of posty-notes up!
I am proud of my friend, Moosey-Moose, too. He did a super job reading with me.
The snow is not here, yet. But it is COLD. I have a fur coat, too, but I also have a sweater to wear. Ever since I got sick a few weeks ago. That was not fun. Did you read what Moosey-Moose did for me when I was sick? He made scones!
Thorndyke, I’m really glad you are my new Best Book Buddy.
Sleepy Bear
Hi Harry,
I have read GOOD NIGHT MOON. That is one of my most favorite stories, especially just before I go to sleep.
I have not read ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE. Maybe I should get that one at my library. Will you read it with me if I get the book?
One of my favorite books is A VISITOR FOR BEAR by Bonnie Becker. The author lives in Seattle. She signed my book for me. She is a really nice lady.
Your New Best Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Thorndyke,
That’s a good word, personality. I have to use a dictionary to find out what it means. Let me check.
Ok, I’m back. The dictionary says it means the part that makes one person different from another person. I’ll try to use it in a sentence. Hmmm, Ok, how about this: I have a shy personality. Do you think that makes sense?
Moosey-Moose thought there were tricky words, too. Do you have more to share? I like to write tricky words on post-it notes and then I put them on the refrigerator so I can learn them. I call them refrigerator words!
Your New Best Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Harry,
I agree, the map is like a maze. I think I would get lost.
Moosey-Moose is one of my best friends. He is very adventurous and likes to travel. I mostly stay home and then he tells me where he went.
I also live with a dog named Tsavo. The T is silent. One time I read a book to her. I might try that again.
Another friend I have is Flower. Well, she’s really Moosey-Moose’s friend but I call her my friend, too.
Oh, and best of all, I have all my friends who read and write to me on my blog. Do you like to read? What are your favorite books?
Your New Best Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Thorndyke, and hello to Harry,
Yes, I really liked the story. Scaredy Squirrel is a lot like me. I’m a scaredy bear sometimes. I would not want to be bitten by a walrus, either!
Harry, what is your favorite part of the story?
Your New Best Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Book Buddies!
Today I’m reading SCAREDY SQUIRREL MAKES A FRIEND by Melanie Watts. I’m reading with my new Best Book Buddy, Thorndyke. He is all the way in Canton, Michigan. He has invited all his book buddies at his library where he lives to join him. I hope they write to me.
I invited my best friend, Moosey-Moose to join me here.
I made us both a cup of hot cocoa with goo-gobs of whippy cream!
It’s really cold in Seattle and the weather man said it will snow later today. This is the best perfect day! Spending it with new friends, old friends, reading together and drinking hot cocoa to stay warm.
Your Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Book Buddies,
Tomorrow my new Best Book Buddy, Thorndyke, and I are going to read SCAREDY SQUIRREL MAKES A FRIEND by Melanie Watts.
This is a funny picture of Scaredy Squirrel. He looks scared!
Oh, before I forget, we are starting at ten o’clock if you live on the west coast and at two o’clock if you live on the east coast. I’m going to set an alarm clock so I don’t get confused tomorrow about what time to start! I don’t want to be late for my own book club. That would not be very good.
I invited my friend, Moosey-Moose to read with us. I think he is a little nervous. He doesn’t think he’s a very good reader. Will you do me a favor and write to him and tell him not to be nervous or afraid? Tell him we will help him with the tricky words.
Be sure to read with us tomorrow! Thorndyke will write to me and I’m going to write back to him and all his library friends who are all the way in Michigan! I’m so excited I might not sleep tonight.
Your Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Book Buddies,
My friend, Thorndyke, in Canton, Michigan wrote back to me. He wants to know if I have read the book called, BIG SMELLY BEAR. Thorndyke, what is that book about?
I like to read all kinds of books. Sometimes I am in the mood for a picture book like INTERRUPTING CHICKEN. Sometimes I am in the mood for a graphic novel like BABYMOUSE. Those are funny! Sometimes I like to read books about puppies like the PUPPY PLACE books. Sometimes I like to read big chapter books like THE PENDERWICKS. I’m not picky, I just like to read.
I am super excited about reading together on Wednesday. If you live on the west coast, we will start at ten o’clock in the morning. If you live on the east coast it will be one o’clock in the afternoon. Ask an adult to help you with the time zone stuffs. It’s complicated.
Oh! I almost forgot to tell you the book we are reading together. It is called SCAREDY SQUIRREL MAKES A FRIEND! That sounds like Thorndyke and me. We both made a new friend with each other. Thorndyke, are you going to drink hot cocoa with goo-gobs of whippy cream?
Is it OK with you if I invite Moosey-Moose to read with us?
Write soon.
Your new best Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Book Buddies,
My new friend, Thorndyke, wrote to me! He invited me to read a book with him and his library friends! The book Thorndyke chose is called, SCAREDY SQUIRREL MAKES A FRIEND, by Melanie Watt. I’m going to ask my reading and writing teacher, Kathleen, to get a copy of the book for me.
Oh, Thorndyke asked his friends to go to his library on Wednesday February 23rd at one o’clock in the afternoon to read with him. Remember, Thorndyke is in Michigan so when it is one o’clock at his house, it is only eleven o’clock in the morning at my house. I get really confused about that. Kathleen told me we live in different time zones. She said she would help me so I won’t be late.
Thorndyke, it’s cold here today and it’s cloudy. The weatherman said it will snow on Saturday. I like the snow. Maybe Moosey-Moose will take me sledding again!
Thank you for being my friend, Thorndyke. It’s fun having another bear-friend who likes to read like me. Oh, what is your favorite place to read? I like to sit in my big white chair in front of the fireplace and sip hot cocoa with goo-gobs of whippy cream!
Write back soon.
Your Best Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Book Buddies,
I have a new friend. His name is Thorndyke. He lives in the library in Canton, Michigan. This is a link to a map of the entire United States: http://www.rightsofthepeople.com/education/government_for_kids/3-5/state/index.php
Look for a pink state with the letters MI on it. That’s Michigan. If you click on it you can learn a lot of fun facts about Michigan!
Thorndyke must like to read, a LOT! Maybe I can host a book club for him and his library friends. You can visit Thorndyke on his library’s website. This is his address:
http://www.cantonpl.org/blog/beginning-readers/thorndyke-thoughts
I’m going to write to Thorndyke and I hope he writes to me, too!
If you want me to host a book club for you and your library or school, just write to me and let me know!
Your Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Book Buddies,
I can’t believe I fell asleep reading a book! Interrupting Chicken sure knows how to tell a good bedtime story. I hope you enjoyed reading with me. Interrupting Chicken reminds me of Moosey-Moose. He sometimes interrupts me, too, when I’m telling a story.
Speaking of Moosey-Moose, do you know about his new goal? He wants to collect t-shirts and sweaters from all his fans from all over the world. You should write to him and ask for his snail mail address. Maybe you’ll be the first one to send him something and he’ll wear it on his blog!
Oh, this is his blog address: http://MooseyMooseWrites.blogspot.com
Your Reading Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Book Buddies,
So the next story Papa reads to Interrupting Chicken is CHICKEN LITTLE.
But guess what happens? Yup! Interrupting Chicken interrupted the story again!
Next, Papa tells Interrupting Chicken to tell her own story. So she does!
Uh Oh! Papa has a big Z coming out of his beak. I know what that means.
ZZzzzzz
Hi Book Buddies,
I went to Mockingbird Books today to read my new story. I like going there because there are lots of super cozy nooks to curl up into and read.
Today I started at the table and chairs because I was eating my chocolate chip cookie.
It’s the next best thing to hot cocoa and goo-gobs of whippy cream.
Chicken asked his Papa to read him a bedtime story to help him go to sleep.
I was super comfy lying on my back with my feet up. This is one of my favorite ways to read a good book!
Papa started to read HANSEL AND GRETEL. I like that story. Uh oh! Chicken jumped into the story and told Hansel and Gretel the old woman was a witch. That ended the story real fast.
Papa started to read another story called LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD. But guess what? Chicken interrupted that story, too!
I wonder if Chicken will stop interrupting his bedtime stories. What do you think?
Write to me and tell me your predictions. I’ll write back tomorrow with more of the story from INTERRUPTING CHICKEN.
Your Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Book Buddies!
I’m super duper excited about reading a new book.
I chose INTERRUPTING CHICKEN by David Ezra Stein.
The story is about a red chicken who can’t go to sleep at night. So, she asks her papa to read a bedtime story to her but she won’t sit and listen to the story! Instead, she, well, I don’t want to give that part away. Check back tomorrow and I’ll tell you what happens next.
Oh, a fun fact about the book is that it won the Caldecott Honor Award this year. The Caldecott Award is for illustrators. That’s the person who makes the pictures in picture books.
I hope you join me while I read INTERRUPTING CHICKEN. I invited Moosey-Moose, too. Will you help him with some of the tricky words? I know he would really like your help. Here’s his blog address: http://MooseyMooseWrites.blogspot.com
Your Book Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Theater Buddies,
Tonight was another fabulous night at the theater. No, not the movie theater. Live musical theater! I saw the opening night performance of WILLY WONKA by Broadway Bound Children’s Theater.
Once again I had a perfect seat. I like to get to the theater early so I have time to read the program. I especially like to read the bios of the cast and crew. A bio is their biography. It’s fun to read about all the shows they’ve been in before. Or maybe this is their first show.
WILLY WONKA is about a boy named Charlie who is very poor but he learns that life is not all about having lots of money and always getting your way.
Charlie and his dad sing a song called “Think Positive”.
Charlie does just that. One day he finds a coin buried in the snow. He uses it to buy a chocolate bar. He hopes to get one with a gold wrapper so he can go to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.
Good thing he was thinking positive. He gets the last gold wrapper!
This is Charlie and Phinneous Trout broadcasting the good news on the radio!
Everyone is excited! There’s a flag parade to celebrate.
The other kids on the tour are all very bratty and think they should always get their way. Well, that gets them into lots of trouble! That reminds me of Moosey-Moose and the trouble he gets into. You can read more about Moosey-Moose at http://MooseyMooseWrites.blogspot.com.
Violet doesn’t listen to Willy Wonka when he tells her not to chew his new gum. She turns into a huge blueberry! I like blueberries but I would not want to be one. Poor Violet.
Finally, Charlie and his dad are the only ones left on the tour. Willy Wonka thinks the day was a disaster. But, Charlie thinks positive about everything. He said he had a super- duper day!
That made Willy Wonka very happy. It made him so happy that he gave Charlie his factory! Wow! I’m going think positive all the time too. Maybe one day I’ll get a factory that makes whippy cream!
The entire cast gave an excellent performance!
It’s been fun for me to watch them rehearse and then to see the finished show on stage.
Remember when I met Melina during my first rehearsal? Well, this is me with Melina during intermission. Melina sits in the orchestra pit. It’s a room that is under the stage. There’s a hole in the stage and she peeks out the top.
I got to play the drums! That was super cool. Maybe I’ll take music lessons and then one day I can play in the orchestra for musical theater shows!
Or, maybe, one day I’ll get to perform on stage. If I think positive like Charlie, then my dreams will come true, too.
Well, like they say in show business, “kudos” to the cast and to Sonya, the director. Everyone gave a superb performance!
If you want to see the show, here’s the link so an adult can buy tickets for you: http://www.broadwaybound.org/
I think you will really like the show. The cast sang all the songs like professional actors. And the costumes are bright and colorful. Some of the actors wear spiffy hats! The stage is even painted in different colors. I wonder if I can paint my bedroom floor like just like the stage? Hmmm, I’ll think positive about that!
Look for me in the audience when you see the show. I plan to go back and again.
Your Theater Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
Hi Theater Buddies,
I was still feeling under the weather at rehearsal, but like they say in show business, “the show must go on!”
I got to see cast number 3 rehearse on Saturday.
That’s my head at the bottom of the picture.
I had front row seats in the rehearsal hall.
I followed along with one of the actor’s and her script. She had some parts highlighted in pink. Very important notes!
This is my new friend. I was helping her at the prop table. Props are pretend things the actors use to make the scenes
real, like telephones, flags, and even beach balls!
Opening night is Friday February 4th. I already have my tickets. I hope to see you there. Be sure to ask an adult to take you. Give them the website for Broadway Bound so they can buy tickets, too. Here it is: http://www.broadwaybound.org/willy-wonka
Be sure to say hi if you see me on Friday.
Your Theater Buddy,
Sleepy Bear
